The Toronto Blue Jays picked Oregon infielder Ryan Cooney in the third round of this year's draft, and the comparison attached to him should get fans excited fast.
Director of amateur scouting Marc Tramuta didn't hold back when describing the 103rd overall pick.
"I kind of compared it to an Ernie Clement clone where it's a higher-contact bat at second base," Tramuta said, "a really polished hitter and contact bat."
That's a name that means something in Toronto right now. Clement went from a DFA'd utility infielder to an All-Star starter, and the comparison isn't hard to see once you look at the numbers.
Cooney hit .331 with a .420 on-base percentage and a .524 slugging mark across 60 games this season, striking out just 35 times.
He led the Ducks with 82 hits, including 22 doubles among 31 extra-base hits, and added 13 stolen bases for good measure.
At 6-foot, 195 pounds, Cooney played most of his innings at second base but has also logged time at short and third, the same kind of versatility that's defined Clement's career in Toronto.
Why Cooney could eventually push Clement for playing time
Clement is 30 now and not eligible for free agency for another three years, so there's no urgency here, but the timeline is worth watching regardless.
By 2029, Clement hits free agency for the first time at 33, right around when prospects like Arjun Nimmala and JoJo Parker are expected to push for regular roles too.
Add Cooney into that mix and Toronto could eventually have a real roster crunch on the infield, a good problem for any organization to have.
None of that matters yet. Cooney was ranked 137th by MLB Pipeline and 175th by Baseball America, solid but not elite prospect rankings that still require real development time.
It's a bit like comparing a rookie chef to a well-known restaurant owner. The instincts might be there, but the résumé still has to get built one service at a time.
Toronto hosts the Padres this afternoon looking to take the series after splitting the first two games, and Cooney now begins his own path through a system that clearly believes in what it just drafted.
Do you buy the Ernie Clement comparison for Blue Jays draft pick Ryan Cooney?
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